U.N. Peacekeepers Accused of Rape in Central African Republic

DAKAR, Senegal — United Nations peacekeepers in the Central African Republic raped or sexually exploited at least eight women and girls last fall, including a young teenager who said she was released only because she had managed to scream, according to a Human Rights Watch report released Thursday.

“In a country where armed groups routinely prey on civilians, peacekeepers should be protectors, not predators,” said Hillary Margolis, a women’s rights researcher at Human Rights Watch.

The United Nations mission in the Central African Republic confirmed that it had been informed by Human Rights Watch about the report’s findings and said it had taken steps to address them. One of the episodes had been previously reported and was already under investigation, the mission said in a statement.

The statement said that the home countries of the accused peacekeepers, the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo, had been notified and asked to begin investigations. The mission also said it had ordered the repatriation of 120 Republic of Congo soldiers, who were immediately confined to barracks.

Allegations of rape by peacekeepers have mounted in the Central African Republic, one of the continent’s poorest and most unstable countries. A spokesman for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has called abuses by troops in the nation “rampant,” noting that about 10 international peacekeeping contingents have now been implicated in cases of sexual abuse.

According to the Human Rights Watch report, one of the victims, a 14-year-old girl, said she had been attacked after walking by troops near Bambari Airport in the center of the country.

“Suddenly, one of them grabbed me by my arms, and the other one ripped off my clothes,” the girl told human rights workers, according to the report. “They pulled me into the tall grass, and one held my arms while the other one pinned down my legs and raped me.”

“The soldier holding my arms tried to hold my mouth, but I was still able to scream,” she said.

Each victim said that she believed the suspects were from the Republic of Congo or the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, the United Nations secretary general’s special representative in the Central African Republic, said the new cases raised by Human Rights Watch meant that the mission “now has the sad record, among all peacekeeping operations, of dealing with the most cases of sexual misconduct.”

Human Rights Watch called on the United Nations to insist that troops’ home countries prosecute the crimes and take responsibility for helping survivors. Only one of the eight victims received medical or psychological care, according to the report.

Less than two months ago, an independent panel assailed how the United Nations handles cases of abuse committed by peacekeepers and recommended changes to ensure quick accountability and protection of victims. The panel was created by the secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, after allegations arose that French peacekeepers deployed in the Central African Republic had sexually abused children as young as 9, luring them with food.